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10 Tops Ways to Ensure No Bids on Your Auctions!
Top 10 ways to sabotage your on line auction sales at eBay and other sites. Top list of things that buyers hate.
If you really hate buyers and want to ensure that they bypass your auctions and take their money elsewhere, then here are the best...
Conflict Resolution - Not As Simple As A, B or C
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just take a simple test to resolve your conflicts and have proper conflict resolution? A multiple choice test would be the best:
1. The person you are in conflict with is...?
a. Controlling
b. Indecisive
...
Five Ideas for Unique (and Cheap) Marketing
Home-based businesses generally lack the large marketing budgets of bigger companies, but a smaller budget doesn'thave to stop you from engaging in clever and effective campaigns.
© 2003 Vishal P. Rao
Home-based businesses generally lack...
Many options yield better decision making
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Strategic Planning for Salespeople
"Ready, shoot, aim." Unfortunately, that's the all too common description of the field salesperson's modus operandi. In a misguided attempt to stay busy and see as many people as possible, too many salespeople subscribe to the theory that any...
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What Does Your Staff REALLY Want? Part 3
The 2005 "Best Places to Work" program study showed that,
contrary to popular opinion, employee satisfaction didn't depend
on salary. The most given answer as to what makes a company a
great place to work is employee empowerment.
And what constitutes employee empowerment? I believe it comes
down to a few basic principles, the third of which is effective
communication.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Millions of words have been written on this subject, and yet
it's still a huge problem, especially in the legal world. Why?
Think about how attorneys are educated - they go to law school
and learn how to be adversaries and advocates, keep secrets, and
always look for the hidden agenda. That's not exactly the best
education for an environment that usually thrives on teamwork,
knowledge, and trust. Attorneys are also expected to be good
managers and effective businesspeople, and yet that's not taught
in law school, either.
I've worked at firms where communication with staff was
discouraged; in fact, attorneys weren't allowed to even take
their secretaries to lunch unless it was their birthday or
secretary's day. Obviously, that firm was not concerned with
effective communication with their staff unless, of course, it
was strictly one-way communication (and in that firm, it was).
It was a difficult firm to work for because staff never really
knew what was going on, knew they were not thought of (much less
treated) as equals, and were not encouraged to challenge
themselves in any way.
I also worked in a firm that really went out of their way to
communicate the firm's culture, goals, and current financial
status. Needless to say, it was a much more open environment
where creativity was rewarded, training was available, and the
firm's actions were much more understood since the staff was
informed of the firm's financial status.
What did the second firm do differently and how could
communication be even more effective?
* Have a real 'open-door' policy. Everyone is familiar
with the 'open-door' grievance policy. It's in every policy and
procedures manual I've written, reviewed, or consulted on. So
that means it's practiced, right? With grievances, it usually is
since they're concrete issues that must be dealt with. However,
I find that many times the 'open door' is overlooked in any
other aspect. If staff feels like they're not being heard, an
advocate for them is necessary but will only be sought out by
the most vocal people. A good way to really know what's going on
in a firm is to just walk around and ask everyone how they're
doing. After you've done it a few times, you'll actually get
answers and more of the staff will be coming to you to keep in
touch.
* Look for teamwork opportunities. Every firm should be
based on teamwork, but in actual practice, few are. In most
firms, staff feels like they're not told the status of cases,
the actual practice, or issues that may affect them. Due to
client confidentiality issues, not everyone on the staff should
be aware of everything that goes on in a case; however, the ones
that are actually working on the case should be informed of the
general status of events and be included in the victory (or
commiserating), thank-yous, and acknowledgments. If staff is
made to feel a part of the legal team, they'll be much more
conscientious and forgiving. And this attitude doesn't just
extend to the actual practice side - it's imperative on the
administrative side as well. Decisions that involve staff should
be explained to them. And the best way to explain is to...
* Remember the WIIFT rule. Everyone wants to know
'What's In It For Them.' The very basis of teamwork is knowing
your part in the overall goal and how the result will affect
you. Does this mean the result will always be beneficial to you?
No. However, prior knowledge of expected results makes everyone
feel "in the loop" and that's really what most people want. Not
many like to be surprised when it comes to issues affecting
their livelihood.
* Leggo the (m)Ego.
This is one of the most difficult
things to learn. We all have egos and feel that many times,
we're right and the other person is wrong or we're smart and
they're a brick shy of a load. In the words of Dr. Phil, how's
that working for you? Really effective communicators take their
ego out of the conversation. They concentrate on the result,
effectiveness and clarity of the exchange, not on score-keeping.
How do you know if you're guilty of this? When someone is
talking to you, are you thinking of what you're going to say
next? If so, your ego is getting in the way. True listeners are
concentrating on what the other person is saying. Responses and
questions will flow naturally if you're really paying attention.
The next time you find yourself thinking of the questions you're
going to ask, stop yourself. Don't worry about looking clever -
concentrate on the other person's intelligence and thoughts, and
let the conversation flow naturally.
* Just say what you really mean. In today's litigious
and politically-correct society, businesspeople are wary of
talking clearly. They're afraid of being misinterpreted or
having their own words used against them. Attorneys are
especially conscious of this, plus many are in the habit of
using ten words when two will do. However, this is usually
counterproductive. Most people want to know what you really
mean. How do you know if you have problems with getting your
point across? Count the number of questions and what's being
asked after giving an assignment. If it's more than three
questions and the answers seem obvious to you, you probably need
to work on this. It's not up to the secretary to figure out what
you're trying to say - it's up to you. Communication is a
two-way street, so ensure that your road isn't blocked. Speak
clearly, say what you mean, ask that the instructions be
repeated back, and answer any questions calmly and fully. Acting
exasperated or treating the staff as idiots will not accomplish
your goal.
* Make it all make sense. The end goal of any
communication is understanding - whether it be a process, idea,
story, opinion, etc. The first time I saw "2001: A Space
Odyssey", I was very confused. The storyline just didn't make
sense to me. I felt that Stanley Kubrick had played a practical
joke on me and wanted to make me look foolish. It was filled
with all kinds of symbolism, pop-culture references, and
futuristic technology. I just didn't get it. However, when a
friend explained the back story to me, interpreted the
symbolism, and caught me up on the references, I got it. I went
to see it again and had a totally different experience and
really appreciated it. Sometimes we communicate the same way -
we fail to fill in the back story, explain the references, and
deal with the technology of what we're trying to get across.
Knowing where something fits in the puzzle makes our
understanding much clearer. The next time you're talking with
someone and they get that vague look on their face, stop. Ask
them what piece is missing for them. That one small piece of
information will probably change the whole dynamic of the
conversation and get the result you're wanting.
Nothing is more frustrating to a staffperson than lousy
communication. Many feel that they're expected to just take the
ball and run with it, but are never given the playbook. They
feel that if they mess up, it's their head on the chopping
block. Are you having a communication issue with someone in your
staff? If so, it's not 100% their fault. You must take
responsibility for your part and do something about it. Without
effective communication, employees will never be empowered and
will feel like they're always on the defensive.
About the author:
Nickie Freedman is a professional speaker, business consultant
and trainer. She is the founder and principal of Legally Large,
a training and consulting company dedicated to helping firms
rise to their next level by optimizing what they already possess
- their people and their processes. Contact her via
http://www.LegallyLarge.com or 512.791.9644.
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| The 6 Myths Of Creativity |
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| CreativeClass.org |
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| TIP: Concepts |
| The relationship between creativity and intelligence has been always been a central concern of psychology ( Guilford , 1950). Much effort has been devoted ... |
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| CREAX - Portal for creativity and innovation |
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